fitch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. M. FITCH.

PLOW.

No. 317,754. Patented May 12, 1885.-

WITNESSES (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. M. FITCH.

PLOW.

No. 317,754. Patented May 12, 1885.

WITNESSES: iNVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrca.

ASA M. FITCH, OF SEYMOUR, INDIANA.

PLOW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,754, dated May 12, 1885.

Application filed February 16, 1885. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, A. MQFITOH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Seymour, in the county of Jackson and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flows, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved plow. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the front truck provided with a wheel-colter; and Figs. 3, 4L, 5, and 6 are perspective detail views of the several modifications of the means for attaching the rear supporting-wheel.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to plows; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, first, of a truck supporting the forward end of the plow-beam; and, secondly, of a wheel supportingthe heel of the plow, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates the plow-beam. B is the plow-body, and O O are the handles, which all may be of any desired construction.

The forward standard, D, of the plow consists of a plate bent to be V-shaped in cross section, and the flanges E E of the same are respectively secured to the landside and mold-board of the body at the junction of the said parts, the flanges being bent at an angle to each other corresponding to the angle formed by the landside and mold-board. A plate, F, having upwardly-projecting lips G G at the middle of its edges, is secured by means of clips H to the under side of the forward portion of the plow-beam, and is provided at the middle of its under side with a downwardly-projecting standard, I, having transverse perforations J, into which perforations a bolt, K, fits, which passes through the apices of two Vshaped frame-pieces, L L, the bolt being provided with a nut, M, at one end. The frame-pieces are spaced apart, besides by the standard, by shouldered crosslugs N, the ends of which are screw-threaded, as shown at O, and provided with nuts bearing against the outer side of the frame-piece through which the said ends pass, the crosslugs projecting from the inner face of one of the frame-pieces and bearing with their shoulders against the inner face of the other piece, while the threaded ends pass through perforations P in the said piece. The diverging ends of the V-shaped frame-pieces form transverse bearings Q, in which the axles of two rollers or wheels, It R, are journa-led, and, if desired, one of the wheels, preferably the rear wheel, may be removed and a wheel-colter, S, inserted in its place, as shown in Fig. 2.

It is obvious that by having the wheels in front of the plow and hung in a frame which is pivoted at its center they will pass over slight obstructions, as old corn-rows, middle furrows, and small tufts of grass or weeds, without changing the depth of the plow or straining the parts of the plow, as would be the case if they were stationary, while if there is arise ora depression of any considerable dimension the wheels will respond accordingly. Such an arrangement will also permit the colter, when used, to pass over hard obstructions without being damaged. By means of the holes in the standard the frame can be raised and lowered, thus regulating the depth of the furrow to suit the soil in which the plow is being used. A U-shaped bar, T, is secured to the inner face of the land-flange of the standard D with one of its arms, which arm U is curved to conform to the shape of the flange of the standard by means of nutted bolts V, and the lower end of the other arm, W, is serrated upon its inner face, as shown at X, and has a vertical slot, Y, through which slot passes a nutted bolt, Z, projecting from the serrated face A of a block or bar, B, having a stub-axle, O, projecting from its inner face, upon which axle abroad-rimmed wheel, D, is journalcd. This wheel will travel in the bottom of the furrow, steadying the same, and it serves at the same time to support the plow when the latter is turned at corners or transported above the surface of the ground the weight of the plow being thrown upon the wheel by tilting the handles downward, which raises the plow off from the ground. The wheel may be adjusted by means of the nutted bolt and the slotted serrated surfaces so as to raise or lower the heel of the plow-body, forcing the plow more or less into the ground.

In Fig. 4 the bar T is shown provided at the arm U with upwardly-projecting lips E upon its edges, the said arm being adapted to be secured by means of a bolt, F, upon the under side of the beam, and the lower arm of bar B is bifurcated, as shown at G, and has the wheel journaled between the said ends, instead of upon the stub-axle.

In Fig. 5 the arm U of the bar is shown secured to the inner face of the mold-board, and in Fig. 6 the arm is dispensed with and the stub-axle projects from one end ofa curved bar, H, the face of the other end of which bar is serrated, as shown at I, and the said bar has a bolt-hole, J, and a segmental slot, K, at its end at the serrated portion, which hole and slot serve for the reception of the ends of nutted bolts L, passing through the lower end of the handle secured to the inner side of the landside, the end of the handle being provided with a serrated plate, M, at the lowermost bolt, which will register with the serrated'face of the bar, the said bolts and serrated faces serving to adjust the position of the bar, raising or lowering the end having the wheel as may be desired.

The operation of the several parts of the I plow will be readily understood by the foregoing description without further explanation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. Ina plow, the combination of the beam,

perforations in the apices of its sides, and a 1 bolt fitting in the perforations in the frame and in the perforations in the standard, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

3. The combination, in a plow, of the beam, a downwardly-projecting standard secured to the forward end of the beam, a V- shaped frame pivoted to rock in a longitudinal plane upon the standard, and wheels journaled in the forward and rear ends of the frame, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

4. A plow provided with a downwardlyprojecting standard at the forward portion of the beam, a frame pivoted to said standard, a wheel journaled at each end of said frame in front of the body of the plow, and a wheel adj ustably secured to the rear portion of the body of the plow, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have. hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ASA M. FITCH.

Witnesses:

Tnos. M. JACKSON, A. I. D. THURsroN. 

